Planets danced around the Sun.

Meaning: Planets moved in a circle around a star at the center of our solar system.

Choice of Words: Planets are celestial bodies that orbit around a star. "Danced" is used figuratively to describe the movement of planets. "Around" means in a circular path. "Sun" is the star at the center of our solar system. The sentence describes planets moving in a circular path around the Sun.

Alternative Expressions

The planets were moving in a circular pattern around the Sun.

Meaning: This sentence is describing how the planets move around the Sun. It's like saying, The planets go around the Sun in a circle.

Choice of Words: Planets are the big balls of rock and gas that orbit the Sun. Moving means to change position or location. Circular means in the shape of a circle. Around means on all sides of something. Sun is the big, hot ball of gas that gives us light and heat. When you put all these words together, it means that the planets are moving in a circle around the Sun.

The planets were circling the Sun like a merry-go-round.

Meaning: This sentence is also describing how the planets move around the Sun, but it's using a comparison to a merry-go-round to make it easier to understand. It's like saying, The planets move around the Sun like the horses on a merry-go-round move around the center pole.

Choice of Words: Planets are the big balls of rock and gas that orbit the Sun. Circling means moving in a circle around something. Merry-go-round is a ride at a carnival or playground where people sit on horses or other animals that go around in a circle. Sun is the big, hot ball of gas that gives us light and heat. When you put all these words together, it means that the planets are moving in a circle around the Sun, just like the horses on a merry-go-round.

The planets were orbiting the Sun in an elliptical path.

Meaning: This sentence is describing how the planets move around the Sun, but it's using a more specific term, elliptical, to describe the shape of their path. It's like saying, The planets move around the Sun in an oval-shaped path, not a circle.

Choice of Words: Planets are the big balls of rock and gas that orbit the Sun. Orbiting means moving in a regular path around something. Elliptical means shaped like an oval or egg. Path is the way that something moves. Sun is the big, hot ball of gas that gives us light and heat. When you put all these words together, it means that the planets are moving in an oval-shaped path around the Sun.

Related Expressions